“With the Baby Boomers now reaching retirement age, Berry has looked not only at what it can offer Northwest Georgia but also alumni throughout the country – a place to come home to.” JULIE PATRICK NUNNELLY (88C, 00G)
Allen and Julie Nunnelly
story content and architectural renderings provided by LEVLANE Brant Sanderlin
Retire at Berry
For alumni, The Spires offers a continuation of their Berry College experience WHEN JULIE PATRICK NUNNELLY (88C, 00G) FIRST HEARD OF THE SPIRES AT BERRY COLLEGE
it didn’t even have a name, but she knew it was where she would be retiring with husband Allen. Then a member of Berry’s Alumni Council, Julie got an early glimpse of plans for the continuing care retirement community (CCRC) – now set to open in early 2020 – that will be located on 48 acres of leased Berry property within sight of Lavender Mountain. “As a senior citizen and an alumna, I knew it was going to provide ongoing access to the campus I love,” said Julie, who holds a biology/chemistry degree and an MBA from Berry. A recent retiree, Julie views The Spires from the twin perspectives of a long-time homeowner who has resided in Rome since 1977 and a proud member of the Berry community. The former is looking forward to 8
BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2018
saying goodbye to yard care and home maintenance. The latter sees The Spires as an opportunity for alumni to “come back to something that’s familiar and comfortable that they love.” Located on the shores of tranquil Eagle Lake – site of a former quarry – The Spires will be only a short distance from the redbrick buildings that make up so much of Berry’s main campus. The new community will feature 174 apartment-style and cottage homes offering a full slate of housekeeping, maintenance and leisure services, as well as a comprehensive on-site wellness center. With its close proximity to the college, The Spires will provide opportunities for residents to enjoy sporting events, fine arts performances, academic lectures and other aspects of campus life. By providing a full complement of health care services and easy access to Rome’s medical community, the visionary project
will serve the needs of an aging population while also addressing the oft-repeated desire of many Berry alumni to have an opportunity to “retire at Berry.” “The Spires is innovative in its approach to meeting the needs of my generation,” said Julie. “With the Baby Boomers now reaching retirement age, Berry has looked not only at what it can offer Northwest Georgia but also alumni throughout the country – a place to come home to.” That sense of returning to a place and a community that helped shape lives, careers and families is what excites Dr. Gary Waters (80C, 89G), Berry’s community liaison for The Spires and recently retired college chief of staff, as he looks ahead to the next chapter in the school’s mission. The Spires has been established as a totally separate legal entity from Berry College and will operate as a self-sustaining nonprofit – with profits or losses flowing to